General Chat

Yes I will do, That's if nobody else wants to do it.

Lisa Snowdon
Television presenter, model, pin-up and all round girl next door, Lisa Snowdon has firmly established herself as more than just a pretty face. As well as being one of the UK's top models, Lisa has also carved out a successful career in television.

Lisa is a host and judge on Living TV's Britain's Next Top Model, and she also starred in this year's Celebrity Apprentice on BBC One for Sports Relief, and presented on BBC Two's Through the Keyhole, alongside Sir David Frost.

Mark Foster
Mark Foster is arguably the most successful swimmer Britain has ever produced. Six times a World Champion, his bulging trophy cabinet holds 10 European Champion medals and two Commonwealth Champion medals. He has also broken eight world records in his career.

August 2008 saw Mark compete in his fifth Olympic games - recognising this feat, Mark was voted by his team-mates as the Team GB member who would carry the British flag at the Olympic Opening ceremony.

Jodie Kidd
Supermodel Jodie Kidd is one of Britain's most successful and loved models. Her international modelling career has seen her grace the covers of Elle Magazine in an astounding five countries, British Vogue, The Face and Tatler.

As well as being a successful cover model she has also taken to the catwalk for the world's greatest designers, including Jasper Conran, Julien McDonald and Chanel amongst many others.

John Sergeant
John Sergeant is one of Britain's most popular and respected broadcasters and authors. His award-winning career as a political journalist has been as lengthy as it has been successful and seen him interview heavyweight luminaries such as Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and John Major.

In recent years John has become as famous for his appearances on comedy shows such as Have I Got News For You, QI, and Room 101.

No Helen - that is the one show I have not followed. I don't know why really because it is supposed to have been good.
Will you be keeping this thread going throughout Strictly for folk to comment each week ?

Cherie is married to Trevor Eve [Shoestring] and she also used to do the adverts for Nescafe

Jessie Wallace
As Eastenders' own Kat Slater, Jessie Wallace is no stranger to spectacle. Her talent and a run of searing storylines has earned her a string of awards from Best Actress to Sexiest Female.

Since leaving Albert Square in 2005, Jessie has appeared in BBC One's A Class Apart, BBC Four's Miss Marie Lloyd - Queen of The Music Hall and ITV1's Wild At Heart. Jessie has also been keeping up appearances on the stage, making her West End debut in Rent Remixed in 2007.

Gary Rhodes
As one of Britain's most foremost TV chefs, Gary Rhodes is no stranger to heat (or patterned trousers), which will hopefully stand him in good stead on the Strictly dance floor.

Gary has been a chef for over 30 years, having run several Michelin-star restaurants, made guest appearances on numerous cooking shows, and presented his own shows Rhodes Around Britain and Gary's Perfect Christmas. He was awarded an OBE in 2007.

Heather Small
Heather Small is a pop singer best known for fronting M People. The 1990s saw the Manchester dance act notch up twenty Top 20 hits, the highest of which, Moving On Up got to No.2 in 1993.

Outside of M People, Heather appeared on the 1997 Children In Need song Perfect Day, alongside such pop legends as David Bowie, Bono, Elton John and Boyzone - to name just three.

Don Warrington
Don's most famous for playing the role of Philip Smith in the sitcom Rising Damp co-starring the late Leonard Rossiter and Kate Beckinsale's late father, Richard Beckinsale. He has also appeared in the crime drama C.A.T.S. Eyes, as government contact Nigel Beaumont and played Judge Ken Winyard in New Street Law.

Don has always wanted to learn how to dance, believing it's a wonderful skill to acquire. He'd especially like to learn some of the more 'classic' dances such as ballroom.

Gillian Taylforth
Gillian is the Queen of the Soaps, with more than 20 years starring in Britain's most popular TV shows including playing the role of Kathy Mitchell in EastEnders, as Jackie Pascoe-Webb in ITV1's Footballers' Wives, and more recently as Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV1's The Bill.

Gillian's main reason for taking part is because she is a huge fan of the show and loves dancing and keeping fit. She also feels that she's been working so hard at acting recently, that she that it was about time she had a bit of fun.

Yep Margaret, we must be, Have you been watching Last Choir Standing? I have only seen the last couple of episodes.

Austin Healey
Strictly Come Dancing has had its fair share of colourful contestants and former rugby union ace Austin Healey certainly continues this tradition. While his all-round talent and international and domestic triumphs made him a regular fixture of the sports pages, Austin has also created headlines with his views on team mates, rugby rivals and club managers.

On the pitch he achieved international recognition at an early age - he played for England under 21s in 1992, aged just 19 and was an integral member of the Leicester team that dominated the sport from 1998 to 2002.

Helen - I could have deleted. I tend to do that if it does not bring enough interested folk on. Look forward to comparing notes as we did last year on Strictly (and Maria,Joseph and Nancy!!). Looks like you and I are committed addicts to all of these shows.

Christine Bleakley
Christine's career did not begin in front of the camera. In actual fact she trained as a floor manager in television in her native Northern Ireland. She quickly climbed the TV production ladder, emerging as a solo presenter on BBC Northern Ireland for such shows as Skyhigh and First Stop.

Her big break in the UK came when the producer of The One Show called her up and asked if she would step into then presenter Myleene Klass's shoes as she had unexpectedly gone into labour. She's since been made co-presenter with Adrian Chiles.

Andrew Castle
Swapping the courts for the dance floor, former British number one tennis player Andrew has been a breakfast presenter on GMTV on ITV1 since 2000.

A member of the BBC tennis team, covering Wimbledon and all the major tennis tournaments, Andrew has been lead commentator on all Men's Singles Finals since 2003 working alongside John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Jimmy Connors, and Tim Henman. He was also a member of the UK's Olympic teams in Seoul in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992.

Cherie Lunghi
Leading lady of stage and screen, Cherie Lunghi has appeared in practically every popular drama or series going: from Casualty and Cutting It to Hotel Babylon; Cherie has also starred in Waking the Dead, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Secret Diary of a Callgirl and The Manageress, where she played the first woman in Britain to ever become manager of a professional soccer team.

Cherie first burst into the public consciousness as Guinevere in the acclaimed film, Excalibur. She also appeared in Oliver Twist, The Mission alongside Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons and Jack and Sarah with Richard E. Grant.

will add a brief write up about each of the celebrities.

Hiya Margaret,
Tried to find the thread you put up the other day but couldn't see it, did you delete it? That's why i put a new one up.
Helen